Face masks that cover the nose and mouth of the wearer to filter air and/or prevent the spread of germs are well known. Masks take on many forms, including disposable molded masks that substantially fit the contour over the bridge of the nose and around the mouth of the wearer, and flexible masks used for surgery. Masks typically include one or more bands for attachment around the back of the head to retain the mask over the wearer's nose and mouth. Other masks provide for an ear loop attachment wherein bands extending from the side of the mask loop around the back of the wearer's ears.
There are advantages associated with providing a mask that attaches over the wearer's ears rather than looping around the back of the head. The mask may be easier to don and doff. In addition, bands which extend around the back of the wearer's head may be less appealing to many wearers because the bands may become entangled in the wearer's hair or otherwise ruin the wearer's hair style.
In addition to providing a mask that is retained by ear loops, it is also known to provide a drop down band on the mask. A drop down band allows the mask to be retained around the wearer's neck when the mask is not being worn over the nose and mouth. In this manner, the mask is retained at the wearer's chest and does not need to be stored. This provides for quickly accessing the mask to reposition over the wearer's nose and mouth. The drop down feature also frees the wearer's hands to perform other tasks. If a mask is inconvenient to don and doff or is not readily available and accessible when not worn, the wearer is less likely to put the mask on, creating health hazards.
Although masks are known which provide a drop down feature, and other masks are known which provide ear loop attachments, the art does not disclose a mask that provides both ear loop attachments as well as a drop down feature. U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,986 to Seppala et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,010 to Byram show masks that provide for a drop down band. None of the masks, however, provide ear loop attachments to the wearer. U.S. Pat. No. 2,281,744 to Brunner, U.S. Pat. No. 2,458,580 to Fisketti et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 1,292,096 to Schwartz each show a mask that provides an ear loop attachment, but none of these masks provide a drop down band.
It can then be seen that a new and improved mask is needed that provides both drop down retention as well as an ear loop attachment. Such a mask should provide for securely retaining the mask by attaching around the ears of the wearer with a single band. Moreover, a band should extend around the back of the wearer's neck and should retain the mask in an easily accessible location in front of the wearer when the mask is not being worn. The present invention addresses these as well as other problems associated with mask bands.